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Top Ten Haunted House Movies

Monster Mary May 12, 2012

I have often thought that a Haunted House or Ghost movie are the scariest type of Horror Movie. They usually have a lot of suspense leading up to a jump scare or two, and often have a mystery to solve surrounding the Entity’s death. They are normally set in a large creepy Victorian House, Hotel, or a nice home where you should feel safe.

Ghost movies are perfect to put on late Saturday night, have popcorn ready, turn off all the lights , and snuggle up with loved ones to enjoy some good scares. These are my favourite ghost movies, but it was a hard list to make. I left out many great movies to keep the list at ten. I guarantee at least one these movies will make you sleep with the lights on! Happy hauntings…

10- The Haunting (1963)

It was an evil house from the beginning, Hill House was born bad… No one who rented Hill House ever stayed for more than a few days. You see, the dead are not quiet in Hill House. I am not at all sure how a film that uses no fake blood or gore and no ghosts or creatures in plain sight can be so scary, but the original version of the film, The Haunting, is truly scary. There are plenty of turning door knobs, loud banging noises, and bulging walls to be found though.

9- Burnt Offerings (1976)

A young family and their elderly Aunt move into an old and haunted Victorian House for the summer. They are only renting the house and the only requirement is that they take care of the elderly Woman staying in the House. The owners of the house inform them that she is very reclusive and that her food should be left outside the door. The family never actually sees the elderly woman and the Mother slowly becomes possessed by the Entity in the house.

8- The Orphanage (2007)

A woman moves with her family back to her childhood home where she plans to open an Orphanage for disabled children. Her young son develops a friendship with a new invisible friend and goes missing shortly after. Possibly the saddest Ghost movie ever made, the ending is truly heart breaking.

7- The Amityville Horror (1979)

Young Newlyweds move into a house despite being told that there was a mass murder in the house the year before. Believing that a house holds no memories they think it is safe but soon learn differently, they eventually turn to their local priest who tries to perform an exorcism on the house but ends up blind and ill instead. Little do they know that the evil Entity in the house intends to possess the Husband.

6- The Awakening (2011)

Florence works as a sceptic de-bunking Psychics that prey on grieving families. She is asked to go to a boys boarding school where the boys are convinced there are ghosts haunting the school and maybe she can prove there is nothing there. She starts to see things herself shortly after she arrives.

5- Insidious (2010)

A young boys falls into a mysterious coma and can not wake up from it. His parents hire some psychics after seeing ghosts in the house and discover they are being haunted by a ghost from the Father’s childhood.

4- The Legend of Hell House (1973)

A group of Psychics are invited to investigate the legendary Belasco House, which is believed to be one of the most haunted houses and nick named the Hell House. The entity plays on everyone’s greatest fears and starts to effect them physically and emotionally.

3- The Shining (1980)

Jack Torrance, his wife, and their young son agree to be the caretakers of the Overlook Hotel for the winter. Unfortunately for them the Hotel is haunted by past guests and even the previous caretaker that murdered his entire family with an axe.

2- Poltergeist (1982)

I remember going to see Poltergeist in the theatre when I was a kid and it scared the crap out of me. The scene with the clown in the kid’s room is one of the creepiest scenes ever filmed. Poor Carol Anne gets sucked into the Netherworld through her closet late one night. Her family hires some ghost experts to come in and figure out how to get her back.

1- The Changeling (1980)

A widower rents a Victorian Mansion in Seattle after losing his wife and daughter in a tragic car accident. He is trying to focus on his work and not think about his family’s accident. Soon, he starts to hear strange noises, doors opening and closing on their own, and windows shattering.

A solid list. not a top 10 list that i would have had exactly but there are a lot on there that would have been on mine. only two i didn’t like that much they are ” The Amityville Horror” which is ok but prefer the remake and ” Insidious” not rubbish but imo over rated.

Hey, let’s go farther back. What about The Uninvited? Vintage ghostery. I miss the elegance of classic ghost movies. The everything-but-the-kitchen sink approach of modern ghost movies, the need by Hollywood to turn them into rollercoaster rides, is exhausting. I would also include The Pact, which is a nice, modern attempt at a classic ghost story.

Nice list, I’ve seen Amityville, All of the Poltergiest, Insidisous and I think Awakenings. I’m wondering if Insidious 2 will be as good as the first? Here’s to hoping. I also saw a few on your list that I just may check out. Cheers